Every performance agency now has a ChatGPT ads page. Here is how to tell who has actually done the work.
Ask these five questions
- How do you decide which conversations to appear in? A good answer describes a documented intent map. A weak answer talks about audiences and reach.
- What happens after the click? If landing pages and message match are someone else's problem, most of the performance is out of their control.
- How will you measure a qualified lead? The definition should be agreed before launch and tied to your CRM, not to on-platform engagement.
- What have you learned that surprised you? Anyone with real accounts running has been surprised by something. Vague answers usually mean vague experience.
- How do we take this in-house later? Confidence shows up as a willingness to document and hand over.
Promises that should worry you
- Guaranteed placement or guaranteed recommendation. Nobody controls a model's output.
- Reporting built around impressions and engagement rather than qualified actions.
- A proposal that never mentions landing pages, tracking or brand safety.
- Claims of years of experience in a channel that is barely a year old.
How to structure a first engagement
Start with a paid strategy phase and a contained test budget rather than a twelve-month retainer. Agree the measurement framework in writing before anything launches, and set a review point at 90 days with the criteria defined in advance.
What we do differently
We run paid placement and earned AI visibility together, because a brand that AI engines already understand converts better on paid placement too. And we document as we go, so taking the work in-house is always an option rather than a negotiation.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a first test cost?
Enough to reach statistical relevance on your funnel and no more. For most B2B and considered-purchase brands that means a defined test budget over 60 to 90 days, plus the strategy work up front.
Should the agency also handle SEO and GEO?
It helps if they at least coordinate with whoever does. Paid placement performs better when the brand is already legible to AI engines, and both jobs draw on the same intent research.